Giving back, volunteering, serving the community, lending a hand — all are some of the usual reasons for being Rotarians. One group seems to have volunteerism really figured out. The National Charity League (NCL) enables its members and partners not only to give back to their (and our) community but also to train and influence the next generation of philanthropists.

Susan Luzader is the Vice President for Philanthropy at the National Charity League of Tucson. She was born, raised and educated in Upstate New York. She moved to Tucson with her husband John in 1990. She has been a full time dental hygienist for 30 years. Her free time is spent as a soccer mom, taking care of her beloved animals, and volunteering for the NCL with her daughter Sophie.

The NCL has strategies for getting teens trained to volunteer . . . whole families even. The Tucson chapter has over 240 members, women and daughters in grades 7 through 12, that serve local philanthropies such as Ben’s Bells, Community Food Bank, Gospel Rescue Mission, Integrative Touch for Kids, Special Olympics, Therapeutic Riding of Tucson (TROT), Tu Nidito, Tucson Clean & Beautiful, Tucson Festival of Books, Youth on Their Own, and many others. The Tucson chapter contributed over 3800 hours of service to our community last year.